UK issues a warning that "waving the Palestinian flag or chanting songs" may become a crime during the Israel-Hamas conflict

 UK issues a warning that "waving the Palestinian flag or chanting songs" may become a crime during the Israel-Hamas conflict

Israel-Hamas War: Suella Braverman warned chief constables of England and Wales in a letter that "advocating freedom for Arabs, whether by chanting a song or waving a Palestinian flag, in the region may be a criminal offence." 

In his letter to top police officers, Braverman said that the officers shouldn't abstain from possible offenses including the propagation of the banned Hamas organisation. 

According to the letter, which was obtained by The Guardian, "Behaviors that are legitimate in some circumstances, for example, the waving of a Palestinian flag, may not be trustworthy, such as when intended to glorify acts of terrorism." 

She said that it is "not acceptable" to obnoxiously yell or wave pro-Palestine symbols, and Braverman instructed the police authorities to take necessary measures against harassers if they were found out. 

Read more: Live updates on the Israel-Hamas conflict

Further clarifying that police operational choices about arrests are their responsibility, Braverman encouraged them to utilize all available means to avert disturbance. 

The human rights attorney Shami Chakrabarti responded to Suella Braverman's letter by saying that police chiefs are aware of their responsibilities and authority, as reported by The Guardian. 

After the horrific events in Israel over the weekend, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak voiced his support for the Jewish community in Britain and pledged to do his part to ensure their safety in a letter to her.

"I also want to express my support for the Jewish community back home. And we are making the necessary preparations to guarantee your sense of security," added Sunak. 

The Community Security Trust (CST), a Jewish advisory organization in Britain, reported incidences of what it termed "racist anti-Semitism against Jewish people" since Saturday in a post on X, previously known as Twitter.

The assaults that began on Saturday, the bloodiest such invasion in decades, when militants from the Islamist organization Hamas murdered hundreds of Israelis and kidnapped others, devastated Israel. Israel responded by shelling the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.